• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Lifestylewine

Boomer-centric wine industry at a crossroads as Gen Z turns away from alcohol

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 25, 2024, 6:36 AM ET
Man pouring wine for females and males in vineyard.
Boomers love wine. Other generations, not so much.Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
  • A recent report shows the wine industry is grappling with a generational issue as boomers love the stuff but younger consumers aren’t as interested.

The wine industry has a customer problem. It’s chasing the wrong customers.

Recommended Video

That’s the conclusion of Silicon Valley Bank’s 2024 State of the US Wine Industry report, which is largely viewed as one of the most comprehensive analyses of the industry available. While premium wines had mixed success over the past year, other categories did not perform as well.

Wine sales were down 3% overall last year, following declines for the last three years. And in 2023, sales of spirits in the U.S. topped the volume of wine sold. That’s the first time that has happened in 45 years. In addition, cannabis use is on the rise, which is proving a distraction for the audience, and a growing number of young consumers are eschewing alcohol altogether.

The bigger problem, though, is the wine-drinking consumer. Some 58% of consumers over the age of 65—essentially, the baby boomer generation—prefer wine to other alcoholic beverages. All other demographics are nearly 30 points lower. Even worse for vineyards is that younger consumers aren’t as interested in wine.

“The bottom line is for every consumer over 60 who stops consuming wine; they are replaced by younger consumers with a mindshare of wine half that of their elders. Time is not on our side,” the report reads.  “We must show the will to change and the creativity to evolve and adopt a new approach that retains current customers while appealing to a more diverse population.”

Gen Z’s resistance to alcohol in general is a well-known problem within the beverages industry. Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley went on CNBC last year and cited company research showing that a full 30% of Gen Z drinks no alcohol at all. “We’re moving into non-alc products,” he said at the time.

Despite the travel boom of the past year, visits to tasting rooms are down for the second year in a row. And prices aren’t helping to draw people in, especially to high-end wineries in areas like Napa Valley, Calif.

The price of a tasting at a Napa vineyard is significantly higher than the country’s other wine regions. A standard tasting at a Napa winery now goes for $81, $22 more than it did in 2021. A reserve tasting averages $128.

Compare those numbers to $38 for a tasting in Sonoma and $28 in Paso Robles. And to put it in perspective, tasting fees didn’t even exist until the middle to late 1990s. They hovered around $10 for several years, but as more and more people began going to wineries, those prices began to climb. As recently as 2012, the price of a tasting in Napa was $22.

That’s why, in part, many premium wines increased their prices last year. Wineries in Napa raised their direct-to-consumer prices to an average of $84.20 a bottle last year, up from $79.40 a year earlier. In Oregon, average bottle prices jumped from $47 a year ago to $57.70. And Sonoma wineries raised the average price from $46.70 a bottle to $50.60.

That may change in the next year or two, though. The report notes there is an oversupply of planted vineyards.

“Conditions are present for overproduction, which may lead to inventory excess, discounting and price reductions,” the report said.

A version of this story was originally published on Fortune.com on January 23, 2024.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Lifestyle

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Lifestyle

David Senra smiles in front of a white background
Startups & VentureTerm Sheet
David Senra, your favorite billionaire’s favorite podcaster, has turned down every acquisition offer. Here’s why
By Lily Mae LazarusJuly 6, 2026
4 hours ago
Meet Atlas, the humanoid robot that delivered the game ball.
InnovationSports
Meet the soccer-playing humanoid robot that just delivered the game ball at the Brazil v. Norway FIFA World Cup match
By Catherina GioinoJuly 5, 2026
17 hours ago
Seventh film in animated franchise beats the fifth installment of another cartoon juggernaut at the box office
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
Seventh film in animated franchise beats the fifth installment of another cartoon juggernaut at the box office
By The Associated PressJuly 5, 2026
21 hours ago
As higher airfares and gas prices make vacations ‘crazy expensive,’ small business owners say Americans are staying closer to home this summer
EconomySmall Business
As higher airfares and gas prices make vacations ‘crazy expensive,’ small business owners say Americans are staying closer to home this summer
By Mae Anderson and The Associated PressJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago
k
CommentaryBox office
How Hollywood’s youngest filmmakers are exposing Gen Z’s real problem with AI
By Reid LitmanJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago
Like Netflix’s cofounder, U.S. Polo Assn. CEO has strict work-life boundaries—he clocks off at 5:30 p.m. and won’t text his team on weekends
SuccessDay in the Life of a CEO
Like Netflix’s cofounder, U.S. Polo Assn. CEO has strict work-life boundaries—he clocks off at 5:30 p.m. and won’t text his team on weekends
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
2 days ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
4 days ago
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
Investing
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
19 hours ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
By Sydney LakeJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.